Fire escape ladder



March 12, 1935. PIERRE I 1,994,408

FIRE ESCAPE LADDER Filed July 2, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l if 9 t Law...

March 12, 1935. H. ST. PIERRE FIRE ESCAPE LADDER Filed July 2, 1934 2Sheets-Sheet 2 Z a/72y dfpcezre Q abuzz 2711f:

Patented Mar. 12, 1935 1&94,

. ETED STATES ATET OFFICE FIRE ESCAPE'LADDER Henry St. Pierre,Worcester, Mass.

Application-luly 2, 1934, Serial No. 733,352

' 6 Claims. (Cl. 228-42) This invention relates to a flexible ladder forsembling the same. All this involves consideruse in hotels, schools andother buildings to able expense. One of the principal objects offacilitate the escape of persons caught in the this invention is toavoid this expense and it building i e of fi involves additionalfeatures asset forth above.

'5 Th principal objects of t invention are In its preferred constructionthe ladder is held.

to provide a construction of a rung for a ladder in a 100K p y of metal,Wh c i which will eliminate the necessity of using pipes screwed to thefloor of the room and located for that purpose and also eliminate thenuts under the sill of the window inside. The lag and bolts ordinarilyemployed, thus reducing the screws 11, which hold it in place, also pass10 expense and danger of their becoming loosened; throug a p at Whichthereby is fixed torthe 10 to provide a construction which can be placedbottom of the box. This plate is held. therefore in a box convenientlyand in such a way that firmly in fi d Position and is Capable ofste11dthe lowest rung of the ladder will be distinguishng the W t of tladder a t p o able so that the whole ladder can be removed See di g it.It is p v With a P of hollow.

5" without tangling; to provide an improved means elevations 13 whichare pe f d at 14 to 15 for securely holding the upper end of the ladderadmit the lower end of the bottom link of the in the box, and toprovide'a device at the lower a e e projections u sh each Case end ofthe ladder for use in lowering a person a hollow sp between the plate dt fiOOI' who is somewhat incapacitated, of the box. In fixing the end ofthe ladder in Other objects and advantages or" the invention position,the end link of the Chain is p 20 will appear hereinafter. through theopening 14 vertically, as shown in,

Reference is to be had to the accompanying and key locking p is e ddrawings, in which in the hollow space and over the lower portion Fig. 1is a sectional view through a window of the link- ,This y is providedWith 2 sill showing the box and ladder in extended r d t o havingnotches 18 at ts Sides position; to receive the link and fit it so thatit consti- Fig. 2 is a side view of the same, looking tutes a perfectanchor for the chain. The box toward the wall of the building from theinside; is p d With a Cover 19 which ca he sw Fig. 3 is a plan of aplatein the bottom of up against the wall of the building. The top thebox-for holding the end of the ladder; of the box is slanted so as toshed any water 90 Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of that maycome in through the window. Fig. 3; The first feature on the chain afterit is Fig. 5 is a transverse sectional view on the extended out thewindow is a rung 21 formed line 5--5 of Fig. 3; r of pipe or the likeand notched at 22 at both Fig. 6 is a plan of the holding or locking pinends to receive a link of the chain 15. It is 35- for the end of theladder; also flattened at this point to some extent. Fig. 7 is anelevation, partly in section, show- The whole-structure 21 is hollow andit receives ing the means for holding one of the wheels for a singlelink of the chain at each end, the sides keeping the ladder away fromthe building; of the link being located in the notches 22. Fig. 8' is aside elevation of the same, looking Through this ring passes a headedrod 23 onl o in the direction of the arrow 8 in Fig. 7; which are a pairof discs or wheels 24, each Fig. 9 is an end view of the same asindicated formed of a flat plate of thin metal. Outside by the arrow 9in Fig. 8; these discs are caps 25 of thinner sheet metal Fig. 10 is abottom view of one of the rungs perforated at the center to receive therod, that of the ladder as indicated by the arrow 10 in perforationbeing provided with a depressed 4.5 Fig. 7, and edge 26 to engage therod. One end of the rod Fig. 11 is an elevation of the bottom of the isthreaded and provided with a nut 27 adapted ladder extended. to bescrewed up to hold the rod in proper posi- As fire escape ladders areordinarily contion and especially to hold the discs correctly.

structed they consist usually of two chains con- These ap 5 a of t nermetal than the 50 nected by ladder rungs which consist of iron rest ofthe structure and the nut is intended to pipes secured to the chains atboth ends by be w d p d enough to f rce the flat bolts and nuts. Thisconstruction involves the end walls of the nut and head inwardly so thatexpense of threading the pipes and the use of they are practicallyembedded in the recesses nuts and-bolts as well as the necessity for as-7 thus 'formed. This holds these parts very 55 strongly and firmly inposition. These parts are all spaced properly by the fact that each discengages the fiat end of the tube 21 and is in turn engaged on the otherside by the cap 25 against which the nut 27 or head of the rod engageswith the necessary pressure. These wheels 24 are intended to rest on thewindow sill, either in the position shown or farther out, and a pair ofWheels or discs 29 are shown mounted on the chain in .the sameway andadapted to engage the vertical Wall of the building or the vertical sideof the projecting member 30. The disc 24 holds the chains away from thewindow sill inside to permit getting the fingers between the rod and thesill while the wheels or discs 29 space the chain from the outer wall 7of the building to provide space to receive'the' feet of the user. Incertain cases either the discs 24 or 29 are not necessary.

From this part on to the end of the chain" several rungs 31 are providedspaced equally apart. They are made of thin metal bent up to atroughshaped form having a horizontal top and vertical downwardly extendingparallel side walls. At each end the top is bent down-in the form of adownwardly extending hook 32 and two tongues 33' on the opposite sidewalls are bent inwardly over, and outside the hook 32. This bending ofthe side tongues 33 is done after a link of the chain is inserted onopposite sides of the hook 32. The bending inwardly of the tongues 33 tothe position shown, especially in Fig. 10, anchors this chain linkpermanently in position with respect to the rung of the ladder andpermanently holds the two chains at the proper distance apart so thatthey will hold in the notches 22.

It will be noticed that the bottom rung 34 has an appearance contrastingwith that of the other rungs. It is intended that the other rungs shallbe of a metallic appearance or they may be painted a particular colorbut this rung 84 is painted with a contrasting color, as for example,dark red. When the chain is placed in the box it will be readilydiscernible and the operator can grasp it first andpull the whole chainout by the bottom rung. This avoids kinking of the chain and thecatching of the different rungs. For this reason the chain will not gettangled up.

Another feature shown is the extension 35 of one of, the chains 15beyond the bottom rung to provide a support for a person partiallydisabled. This is covered with a rubber tube, 36 to protect the personfrom the irregularity of the The idea of this is that in case the personis disabled or partially so, he can have this extension 35 passed aroundhim and the hook 3'7 caught in the loop 38 and be lowered withoutclimbing down the ladder. He is free to hang to the chain or the rungsof the ladder above. This furnishes an additional safety feature.

It is thought that the method of operation for lowering the chain willbe obvious. When the chain is to be placed in the box 10, it is, ofcourse, lowered into it in substantially the proper order so that thebottom of the chain when extended will be at the top of the box.Therefore, the rung 34 will be easily within the sight of any personwishing to use the fire escape. The two sets of wheels or discs 24 orwill, of course, be located at the bottom of the box and, as the wheelsof each pair are the same distance apart, one pair can be placed alittle to the right or left of the other and they will go into the boxsubstantially as indicated in Fig. 1. The rungs 31 and 34 are shorterthan the distance between the two discs 24 or 29 so that they will bereceived between them when in the box. lowered down into the box on topof them. 7

Having thus describedmy invention and the 1 advantages thereof, I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than asset forth in the claims, but what I claim is:.

1. As an article of manufacture, a fire escape ladder comprising a pairof chains and rungs; 1 each comprising a thin metal member having a topand two downwardly extending sides with the bottom open, the top beingprovided with ,408 Y 1 "Ti 7 The rest of the chain is an integral hookat each end extending through a chain link and then downwardly adjacentthereto and the sides extending beyond the hook and constituting-tonguesprojecting I wardly and engaging the "outsiderof the. hook to hold itpermanently in connection with the chain links. v

2. As an article of manufacture, aifire escape ladder comprising a pairof chains, rungs for connecting them, a rod extending throughtwo.opposite links of the chains, a tube surrounding the rod having its endsflattened and having notches vertically in alignment for receiving theopposite sides of a chain link, afiat disc mount-' ed on the rod andengaging the end of; the. tube, outside the chains, caps on the rod forengag ing the discs, and a nut on the rod for the pure pose of forcingthe discs firmly against theends of the tube, said discs being adaptedfor contact with the building to space the ladder there,- from. r

3. In a fire escape, the combination, of a, pair. of chains, rungsconnecting them, two rods connecting the chains above the top rungandspaced apart, and two discs on each rod for spacing, the I chains attwo longitudinally separated points from. the sill of; the window inwhich the fire escape is used, said discs being of substantially" largerdiameter than thatof the rods.

4. In a chain fire escape, the combination of. a pair'of chains havingrungsfor separating them and permanently connected thereto andiia boxadapted to be placedinside the building for containing the ladder, saidbox having a; plate on. the bottom with two. perforations there throughfor receiving the end links of the two. chains therein, keys adapted tobe inserted through the said chain links. under the plate, said; platebeing provided with elevations in which, said perforations are locatedto provide as'pace under themfor the ends of-thelchain links and thekeys each having a narrowed portionat the center which, when the key ispassed halfway through the chain link, willufurnish an anchor thereforand constitute the sole means for holding the chain to the plate.

5. In a chain fire escape, the combination of a pair of chains havingrungs for separatingji them, a box adapted to be placed inside, the

building for containing theladder, said boxihay ing a plate on thebottom with the perforations therethrough for receiving the end linksofethe two chains therein, said, plate being provided: with elevationsin which said perforations are, located to provide a spaceunderathemforthe. ends of the chain links, and keys belowsaicl:vperiorationswhiqh will furnish an anchQr2-there.-...

for and constitute the sole means for holding the chain to the plate.

6. As an article of manufacture, a fire escape ladder comprising a pairof chains, rungs for 5 connecting them, a rod extending through twoopposite links of the chains, a tube surrounding the rod having its endsflattened and having notches vertically in alignment for receiving theopposite sides of a chain link, a fiat disc mounted on the rod andengaging the end of the tube outside the chains, and a nut on the rodfor the purpose of forcing the discs firmly against the ends of thetube.

HENRY ST. PIERRE.

